The Lullaby of No Colour [New]

26 - Her Inner Dialogue

Naomi -

I can feel Yuki's heart beat in exhilaration as I cling onto her, and I swallow a bit of anxiety as she speeds up, making a sharp turn.

The dangerous driver slows down, and a weird air fills my helmet. It was like, I could feel the life here.

"We're here." Yuki mumbles, stopping to help me off. My shoes hit soft ground, and I can't tell if it was dirt or mud, but I definitely hoped it wasn't wet cement. I tug off the helmet, Yuki's soft hands helping fix my hair as I do. My heart thuds for a moment, and I swallow my anxiety, feeling relieved in her similar feelings.

Her thin fingers wrap around mine, and I notice how sweaty her palms become. I hesitate and stop myself from peeling at my cuticles, most of them bleeding from anxious moments that have passed with time.

"Where are we?" I hear myself ask, not quite remembering when I opened my mouth, or if it truly came from me at all. Yuki rubs her thumb over my knuckles as we walk, and life fills me. Not my own life, it felt as if... I was surrounded by so many people, yet not crowded.

"A spirit forest, my favourite one." She responds, and an odd feeling sets in my stomach. It felt like I should know what this place was, but the memory was so distant. Yuki must have noticed my hesitation, because she continued.

"It's a graveyard for pagans, you're buried with a glowing seed in your chest, an Adlonetta seed, and buried in a sparse area. Your spirit intertwines with the tree, and you become one with Mother." She explains, and I nod, listening intently while focusing on not tripping on roots, my feet tentative and slow. The air filled with life because I was surrounded with life. I reach out to touch a tree, hoping one was close, and feel my clammy hand stroke the soft yet rocky bark.

Millions of odd faded memories from a century ago play in my head, and I pull back, surprised. I don't say anything to Yuki, only trace my fingers along the trees as we walk, recounting the memories of the long forgotten.

The food was delicious, really, but everytime I took a bite of the food she had packed, I thought about being able to taste her lips once more. As embarrassing of a thing as it was, I hadn't really processed what I felt just yet. Maybe the knowledge of her being my soulmate hadn't quite set in yet.

Hesitation became quite apparent to me as I dug at the shredded cuticles on my fingers, and I couldn't help but make a private promise to myself that I was going to go through with this. I knew I wanted it, not just because of the pain, but because I wanted to feel everything talked about when meeting your mark. And I wanted it to be with her.